over him an embroidered surcoat, which a most striking and
ludicrous likeness of Mr. Augustus Mills was pulling off at the other
end; and the scene was embellished by a ruined castle in the distance,
and a quantity of skulls and cross-bones in the fore-ground. Elizabeth
could not but think it unkind of him to jest on this matter, while her
eye-lids were still burning and heavy from the tears it had caused her
to shed; but she knew Rupert well enough to be certain that it was only
a sign that he was out of temper, and had not yet conquered his old
boyish love of teazing. She put the paper into her basket, saying, in a
low tone, 'Thank you, Rupert; I shall keep it as a memorial of several
things, some of which may do me good; but I fear it will always put me
in mind that cavaliers of the present day would have little objection
to such battles as I was speaking of, even with women, if this poor old
gentleman did not retain a small degree of vitality.'

Rupert was vexed, both at being set down in a way he did not expect,
and because he was really sorry that his wounded self-conceit bad led
him to do what he saw had mortified Elizabeth more than he had intended.

'What is it? what is it?' asked Katherine.

'Never mind, Kate,' said Rupert.

'Well, but what fun is it?' persisted Katherine.

'Only downright nonsense,' said Rupert, looking down, and unconsciously
drawing very strange devices on the blotting paper, 'unworthy the
attention of so wise a lady.'

'Only the dry bones of an ill-natured joke,' said Lady Merton, who had
seen all that passed, from the other end of the table. She spoke so
low as only to be heard by her son; but Elizabeth saw his colour
deepen, and, as he rose and went to the piano, she felt sorry for him,
and soon found an opportunity of reminding him that he had promised to
draw something for Edward's scrap-book, and asked him if he would do so
now.

'Willingly,' said Rupert, 'but only on one condition, Lizzie.'

'What?' said Elizabeth.

'That you give me back that foolish thing,' said Rupert, fixing his
eyes intently on the coach and horses which he was drawing.

'There it is,' said Elizabeth, restoring it to him. 'No, no, Rupert,
do not tear it up, it is the cleverest thing you ever drew, Sir Walter
is excellent.'

Yet, in spite of this commendation, Rupert had torn his performance
into the smallest scraps, before his sister came back to the table.

Anne had been in some anxiety ever s